Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse was elected Wednesday by his colleagues to serve as the assistant Democratic leader in the House.
Neguse, a third-term congressman representing Boulder and north-central Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, is now fourth in the leadership pecking order, behind Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and the Democrats’ whip and caucus chair. Neguse replaces U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, who announced he would leave the leadership role earlier this year.
House Democrats sit in a narrow minority in Congress. Neguse is only the second U.S. representative from Colorado to serve in a senior House leadership role, and he is the highest-ranking federal lawmaker from the state since the mid-1930s, Neguse’s office said in a press release Wednesday. Neguse previously served as chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, leading the caucus’ messaging.
“As a proud Westerner, I’m committed to ensuring that the people of Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain West have a seat at the table, and will work in my new role to ensure the voices of folks across our country and from every corner of the Democratic Caucus are elevated, included, and heard,” Neguse said in a statement.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who served in Neguse’s congressional seat before he was elected governor in 2018, praised Neguse’s “positive impact on our state and nation” in a separate statement.
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